Miss USA Wins Miss Universe Crown For 1st Time Since '97

For the first time since 1997, an American has been crowned Miss Universe. Earlier this evening, twenty-year-old Boston University sophomore Olivia Culpo walked away with the title, edging out second and third place finishers Janine Tugonon and Irene Sofia Esser Quintero from the Philippines and Venezuela, respectively.

This year’s Miss Universe Pageant was held at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas. It featured eighty-nine competitors from countries all over the world and was broadcast to viewers from just as many. The contestants were judged by musician Cee Lo Green, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and San Francisco Giant Pablo Sandoval in a variety of categories, and when the dust settled, the Rhode Island cellist who once played alongside Yo-Yo Ma was crowned victorious.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it also proved to be a good evening for Miss USA runner-up Nana Meriwether. Because of Culpo’s victory, she’ll now officially take over the Miss USA crown and handle many of the duties that come with the title.

In addition to winning bragging rights for the United States, Culpo’s victory no doubt brought a smile to Donald Trump’s face. Following her Miss USA win in June, Miss Pennsylvania accused the pageant of being rigged. Considering she’s now Miss Universe, those claims now seem even more ridiculous.

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